FEMA puts Gonzalez’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 91% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gonzalez gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns, #479 of 638 in Florida. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (73%), then river and rain flooding (25%). Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1989.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Gonzalez faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Gonzalez’s grade
Hurricanes are 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in Gonzalez, and Gonzalez’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 25% (lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts).
D #479 of 638 in Florida; higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Gonzalez’s residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Florida town has higher expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Gonzalez has more expected damage per building than 75% of Florida towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $7.7M a year in losses across Gonzalez: $6.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Gonzalez flood? Sometimes: 48 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gonzalez, from FEMA’s records: 8.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Sally22 claims · $878K
- The Mid-spring storms11 claims · $432K
- Hurricane Georges (Panhandle)3 claims · $89K
Gonzalez isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Escambia County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Gonzalez
Disasters that paid out in Gonzalez itself (aid to households or repair grants to Gonzalez), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Hurricane Sally4 households applied for aid$5K aid approved22 flood claims paid for it, $878K
- 2005Hurricane Dennis5 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
- 2004Hurricane Ivan22 households applied for aid$26K aid approved
Escambia County has had 31 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Escambia County, 2001–2001.
Old photos of Gonzalez after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Gonzalez archive →Gonzalez and its neighbors
Gonzalez is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensley | Dmore damage than 90% | hurricanes | 95 |
| Gonzalez | Dmore damage than 91% | hurricanes | 48 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Gonzalez faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Gonzalez
Is Gonzalez at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Gonzalez has higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #479 of 638 in Florida. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (73%) and river and rain flooding (25%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Gonzalez flood?
Flood insurance has paid 48 claims in Gonzalez since 1989, $1.6M in all, or 8.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Sally (22).
Is Gonzalez in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Escambia County, 62% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 8.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Gonzalez?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Gonzalez’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Gonzalez?
By FEMA money that reached Gonzalez, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 22 households applied for aid, $26K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Sally: 22 paid, $878K.
Is Gonzalez at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and Gonzalez’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Gonzalez.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Gonzalez’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.